Jason Bennett Thomas – Bangor

January 2018

Sexual predator jailed for 19 years for abusing young girls

A sexual predator who abused two young girls will spend 19 years behind bars.

Jason Bennett Thomas, of Caerhun, Bangor, had denied 11 charges of abusing the girls in offences that took place 16 years apart but was found guilty by a jury at Caernarfon Crown Court.

Thomas, 47, showed no emotion as Judge Huw Rees passed sentence: “You have been found guilty of the most serious sexual offences by a jury.

“You ingratiated yourself into their lives for your own selfish purposes.”

He said Thomas had chosen to deny the offences and had given a “totally lying account” to the jury and forced his victims to give evidence.

The judge told Thomas he must spent 19 years in prison and extended his licence by a year which makes it formally a 20 year sentence.

He was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and made subject of a sexual harm prevention order which rules he must have no unsupervised contact with children under 16.

During the trial the jury heard three offences were alleged to have taken place against one girl in 2015 when she was aged under 10.

The remaining charges relate to a woman who claims she was raped and sexually abused by Thomas when she was a young girl in the 1990s, when she was aged under 13.

Members of the victims families were in court to see Thomas being jailed.

Prosecutor Andrew Green summarised the impact of Thomas’ actions in statements prepared by the victims.

The first victim, now an adult, had faced difficulties following the assaults.

Now a mother herself the woman, who cannot be identified for legal reason, said what happened to her causes her to have anxiety and sleepless nights about what could happen to her children.

The younger victim, still a schoolgirl, was said to have difficulty sleeping and was having nightmares about a man dressed in black.

November 2017

Man found guilty of sexually abusing young girls

A man found guilty of sexually assaulting two young girls in separate incidents years apart faces a lengthy prison sentence, a judge has said.

Jason Bennett Thomas, of Caerhun, Bangor, had denied 11 charges of abusing the two girls, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in offences which were 16 years apart.

But after a five day trial at Caernarfon Crown Court the jury of eight men and four women found him guilty of all charges.

The 47-year-old shook his head as the jury forewoman announced the verdicts.

As he was led away to the cells he shouted “I didn’t do it”.

Adjourning sentence for the preparation of reports Judge Huw Rees told Thomas: “You have been convicted of serious offences and I must consider what sentence to impose.”

He added he wanted the Probation Service to assess Thomas’ risk to young women and warned Thomas faced a lengthy custodial sentence.

Thomas was told he would be sentenced on December 20.

There was no application for bail and the judge remanded him in custody.

During the trial the jury heard three offences were alleged to have taken place against one girl in 2015 when she was aged under 10 and he was 44.

The remaining charges relate to a woman who claims she was raped and sexually abused by Thomas when she was a young girl in the 1990s, when she was aged under 13 and he was 27.

In a video interview played to the jury the woman said he would take her for rides in his car and gave her cannabis and a white powder, which she now believes was amphetamine. Thomas insisted there was no truth in these allegations. He said the woman had never been in his car and he had never supplied her with drugs.

The jury also heard from the younger girl. She said she had been abused by Thomas on two occasions and later, after telling friends, told her mother who alerted police.